“It is finished!”

“It is finished” was the loud triumphant cry of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ when He died on the Cross. These were the last words Jesus uttered before He died. 

The Bible tells us, “After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

(John 19:28-30). 

“It is finished” was a shout of victory by Jesus meaning the cost of our redemption was “paid in full.” He had previously declared to His disciples, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work” (John 4:34). Also, in His high priestly intercessory prayer to His Father, Jesus said, “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do” (John 17:4). The work refers to Jesus’ shed blood and death on the Cross for the sins of mankind. This was the prime purpose of what Jesus came into the world to do. He was nailed to the Cross between two criminals, where He suffered, bled, and died.

The Bibles says, “And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” (Mark 15:37,38). The moment Jesus died, the curtain covering the “Holy of Holies” at the Temple entrance, where God dwelt among His people was rent in two from the top to the bottom. This  was an act of God, indicating that His heavenly sanctuary was now opened for the believer to have a relationship with Him, since Jesus made full atonement for our sin.  

“It is finished” means that the death of Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice for the man’s sin. And absolutely nothing more is required by a holy and righteous God to deal with the sin question. Under the old covenant, the animal sacrifices only covered sin for a season. And had to be offered again and again. “For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered” (Hebrews 10:1,2). 

The one sacrifice that Jesus made on the Cross is far superior to the to the many animal sacrifices offered on Jewish altars in Israel’s day. The Bible says “But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:3,4). Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us rejoice that Jesus “has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:26,28).

“It is finished!!” The work His Father had given him to do!” Writes William MacDonald, “The pouring out of his soul as an offering for sin! The work of redemption and of atonement! It is true that He had not yet died, but His death, burial, and ascension were as certain as if already accomplished. So the Lord Jesus could announce that the way had been provided whereby sinners could be saved. Thank God today for the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross of Calvary.” (Believer’s Bible Commentary p.1565). 

The composer of the following hymn writes appropriately: “Done is the work that saves, / once and for ever done; / finished the righteousness that clothes the unrighteous one. / The love that blesses us below is flowing freely to us now” (Horatius Bonar 1808-1889).

Christians have much to rejoice about because Jesus’ death on the Cross is indeed a “finished work!” It is finished once and forever finished. Absolutely nothing more was required to bring about our full and free salvation. The Bible says “We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God” (Romans 6:9,10). It is also comforting to know that believers will live and reign with Christ for eternity.